Body resting appliance



1949- A. w. SCHENKER 2,469,084

BODY RESTING APPLIANCE Filed Jan. 1, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

A TTORNEY May 3, 1949. A. w. SCHENKER 2,469,084

BODY RESTING APPLIANCE Filed Jan. 1, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 fwyfiyzf fwyi mmvmx. ABRA HAM w SCHENKER v Plenum, 3, 194.9

N E p ;STATES/PATENT. OFFICE Application My invention relates generally to body resting appliances. More particularly my invention is concerned with an improved'construction of body resting appliance adapted for therapeutic uses I and designed to be used in'place of the customary mattress or bed'spring. 1

.One of the objects of my invention is to provide a novel and highly improved body resting appliance of the character described which shall be constructed and arranged in accordance with the best current medical knowledge in, order to obtain a maximum of relaxation for the user and which, at the same time may be adapted for the purpose of bringing therapeutic relief for persons suffering from spinal or other bony ailments, especially backache due to arthritides, spondylolisthesis, herniated nucleus pulposus, sacroiliac disorder, sciatic syndrome, due to other causes, etc. I Y

Another object of myinvention is to provide a novel and highly improved body resting appliance a body resting appliance which shall be charac terized by the simplicity of its construction and which at the same time shall represent a substantial improvement in the art.

Other objects of my invention will hereinafter be pointed out or will become apparent in the following description thereof.

In the accompanying drawings,

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view of a body resting appliance constructed and arranged in accordance with my invention;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view thereof with a portion broken away to disclose the interior construction;

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view similar to Fig. 1 but illustrating a modified form of my invention;

Fig. 4 is a top plan view thereof with a portion broken away to disclose the interior construction;

Fig. 5 is a sectional View similar to Fig. 1, but of smaller size and illustrating the action of the same while a subject is resting thereon; and

Figs. 6, 7 and 8 are further modified forms of my invention. I

Referring now in detail to the drawings, I have illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 thereof, a body rest- January 1, 1945, Serial No. 570,980 9 Claims. (CI. 5-91) ing appliance III; which as can be noted has the appearance of the usual type of inner spring mattress and comprises a substantially rectangular shaped sheet l2 of rigid and unyielding material to resist bending or sagging. sheet I2 is disposed between two relatively thick layers l4 and I6 of resilient or elastic material in the nature of sponge or foam rubber. The sheet 1 2 is preferably, but not necessarily, made smaller said adjacent surfaces in the marginal space or by the use of adhesive l5 as shown. It is thus seen from the above description that the rigid sheet I2 is held captive between the layers 14 and 16. If desired the opposite surfaces of the sheet l2 may be adhesively secured to adjacent surfaces of said layers I4 and Hi.

While in Figs. 1 to 5 of the drawings I have illustrated the rigid sheet l2 as being held captive between two layers of sponge or foam rubber it is noted (as shown in Fig. 6) that the said rigid sheet may be embedded in a solid block of sponge or foam rubber during the process of the manufacture thereof. It is also contemplated as within the scope of my invention to substitute for the lower layer IS, a standard well known typeof inner spring mattress 50, as shown in Fig. '7, while I at the same time the upper layer l4 may be in the "and I5 may be employed. This covering or tick- It is therefore noted that in the present invention as above described, when the user lies down on the top layer N there will be a certain degree of softness and yield due to the material thereof, but the amount of yield. will be limited The said plurality of sections.

'and desireto secure by Letters Patent is: 1. A mattress structure of the character de- 1 'scribed comprising a sheet of unyielding material embedded in yieldable' material for the-purposes 3 a because of the rigid sheet I! of unyielding material, so that no portion of the body will be permitted to sag abnormally. A more complete relaxation may thus be obtained. While the user is thus relaxing, a certain amount of resilience is had due to the supporting layer i 6, which permits the entire sheet I! to yield resiliently as a unit without permitting relative portions of the body I to yield with respect to other portions.

I have found that in certain instances where therapeutic treatment'ls indicated, beneficial results are obtained when my rigid sheet 12 is preformed with longitudinal waves and curves (as shown in .the drawings) of predetermined contour with respect to the body of a particular user. One of the reasons for the symptoms of backache from any cause is the spasm set up in the muscles of the back due to uneven stress distribution. This is minimized if the patient in the fully recumbent, supine position lies on a rigid surface so formed as to correspond to the relaxed contours of the posterior aspects of the'patients body. The resilient layer H is interposed between the body and the preformed rigid sheet in order to accommodate the soft tissues of the back. In thisway all portions, of the body will be permitted to exert their weight evenly.

In Figs. 3 and 4, I have shown a modified form of my invention in which the body resting appliance is adapted for use with types of beds known as adjustable hospital beds in which certain parts along the length of the beds are angularly adjusted. To this end my appliance comprises the rigid sheet 30, similar in function and purpose to the sheet I! but which is divided into a For the purposes of illustration, I have shown the sheet 30 divided into the three sections 30a, 30b and 300, interconnected by suitable hinges 40 and ll transversely disposed with respect to the length of the said sheet 30. Layers 45 and 46 of sponge or foam rubber, similar to the layers i4 and I6 hold the sheet 30 captively embedded therebetween in the same manner as the Figs. 1 and 2 form of my invention. It is seen therefore that by the above described construction, the body supporting structure of my invention may be used to replace the cumbersome adjustable type hospital bed now in common use.

In the forms of my invention illustrated and described herein, the rigid sheets I 2 and 30 may these may be altered and others omitted without interfering with the most general results outlined, and the invention extends to such use.

Having described my invention, what I claim set forth, said sheet being preformed with long'itudinalwaves and curves in conformity with the posterior aspect of the bodyof tlreuser when in.

supine position, said sheet comprising a plurality of sections hingedly interconnected for the purposes set forth.

2. In a therapeutic body supporting structure of the character described, a sheet of unyielding material, said sheet being preformed with longitudinal waves and curves in conformity with the contoural aspect of the body of a particular user, a layer of sponge rubber overlying said sheet, a' layer of sponge'rubber underlying said sheet, said overlying and underlying layers and said sheet being joined into a unitary structure, said sheet comprising a plurality of sections hingedly interconnected so that said body supporting structure may be used in place of an adjustable hospital bedas set forth.

v 3. A therapeutic body resting structure of then class described designed to support a body in supine position comprising a relatively rigid member of unyielding material having its upper surface formed with longitudinal waves and curves in conformity with theposterior aspect of the body of theuser, a layer of relatively soft rubber material overlying the said upper surface of said rigid member, the upper surface of said rubber layer being normally at uniform level without undulations and means for resiliently supporting said rigid member, the said contour of the said surface of said rigid member being characterized by the fact that there is provided a portion adapted to support the knees at a higher level than that of the back of the user.

4. A therapeutic body resting structure of the class described designed to support a body in supine position comprising a relatively rigid member of unyielding materialihaving its upper surface formed with longitudinal waves and curves in conformity with the posterior aspect of the body of the user,,a layer of relatively soft rubber material overlying, said upper surface of said rigid member, the upper surface of said rubber layer being normally at uniform level without undulations, the lower surface of said rubber layer-adjacent to said rigid member having a contour corresponding to the said upper surface of said rigid member, and means for resiliently supporting said rigid member, the said contour of the said surface of said rigid member being, characterized by the fact that there is provided a portion adapted to support the knees at a higher level than that of the back of the user.

5. A structure according to claim 4 in which the said rigid member and said rubber layer are permanently joined as a unit. a

6. A structure according to claim 3 in which the said rigid member comprises a plurality of sections hingedly connected together so that the said structure may be utilized as an adjustable hospital bed.

'7. A therapeutic body resting structure of the class described designed to support a body in supine position comprising a- .relatively rigid member of unyielding material having its upper surface formed. with longitudinal waves and. curves in conformity with the posterior aspect of the body of the user, a layer of relatively resilient material overlying the said upper surface of said rigid member, the upper surface of said resilient layer being normally at uniform level without undulations and means for resiliently supporting said rigid member.

8. A therapeutic body 'restingstructure of the class described designed to support a body. in

. vs'fipine position comprising a relatively held,

member of unyielding material having its upper surface formed with longitudinal waves and curves in conformity with the posterior aspect of the body of the user, a layer of relatively resilient material overlying. the said upper surface of said rigid member, the upper surface of said resilient layer being. normally at uniform level without undulations and means for resiliently supporting said rigid member, the contour of said unyielding member being characterized by the fact that there is provided a portion adapted to support the knees at a higher level than that of the buttocks of the user.

9. A unitary mattress structure of the character described comprising a member of unyielding material embedded in yieldable material for the purposes set forth, said member being preformed with longitudinal waves and curves in conformity with the posterior aspect of the body of the user when in supine position, the contour of said unyielding member being characterized by the fact that there is provided a portion adapted to support the knees at a higher level than that of the buttocks of the user.

ABRAHAM W. SCHEN'KER.

6 REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

